Last semester I overworked. I stopped enjoying what I was doing and was just trying to get through it. I forgot that I was called and not employed. I started longing for school to get out so that I could slow down and rest. I wanted rest so bad. So the first few days off I slept in and spent long times reading the Bible trying to find rest. It didn’t work. After a week of hearing about my desire for rest my wife Adrienne was getting tired of me talking about needing rest. She suggested that I didn’t know what rest was and that I should read a book about it. So I did.

“The Rest of God” by Mark Buchannan was a good book. God used it and some friends in my life to help me to realize that part of the reason I got burned out was that I was trying to do the work on my own, and not working by the power of the Holy Spirit which God gave to us to help us. Then as a result of working in my own strength I got tired and wanted rest. Logical of course but, I missed the point. What I really needed was not rest. What I needed was God. He is the one that gives us rest. All He wanted from me was to acknowledge that He is Lord of everything. That includes you and me and work and rest.

As I am trying to apply what I learned, here are two questions I need to ask myself, and I want to ask you.

1. Are you working for God or allowing God to work through you?
2. Are you coming to Jesus for rest or trying to find it on your own?